General Forestry => General Board => Topic started by: Jeff on May 28, 2011, 12:18:21 PM

Hey! It's time to start planning if you have not. This morning the count down to the left says only 70 days to go. For us, that's like the day after tomorrow. :D Really, this year is going to be a challenge for the one and a third armed dude, but we'll be ready. I'll keep this first post updated as needed and link the countdown to the left under the sponsors to this thread. Nothing to really add at the moment other than its getting close! Who's planning on coming?

Disappointment for Mary and I. We've been to every roast, except one, so this will be our second miss. The reason for missing is my 50 year graduation celebration from the Michigan Technological University School of Forestry. Mary was there with me. It's located about 350 miles from the site of the pig roast. I have known for a several years that it would conflict with the pig roast, as the reunion always includes includes the 1st Saturday in August, the same as the pig roast. It's always fun to meet long time Forestry Forum members for the first time, as well as meeting long time attendees again, and again. Sorry we'll be missing Norm & Patty, and probably a number of other folks that we'd really like to have the pleasure of meeting, as the attendee list grows. The one roast that we missed was because I was at the MTU reunion with our son.

Since Ron Scott and I were in the same class in forestry school, it's pretty likely that he and Jan will be at our class reunion as well. They probably haven't missed any of the pig roasts.

I am pleased that I can still do what I am doing in life after 50 years after college (hunting, fishing, canoeing, four times a week tennis, maintaining two homes, etc.), and I am confident that Ron is as well.

So, we're sad :( not to not be able to make it this time, but happy ;D that all will gather again. We wish Lefty and Tammy well. They always do a fantastic job of making a great pig roast and making everybody feel welcome. They go all out!

Don't miss the pig roast if you can possibly make it. It's worth traveling a long ways to attend. You'll not regret it. Thanks, Jeff & Tammy for all that you do.

I think that I'll make it for the first time this year. My Mother has never been in that part of the country and made a deal with Dad to go up there this summer (she has to go to his class reunion in Texas). As an invitee I said sure, but that I'd want to treat for lunch one day. Jeff, got room at the table for a couple more? ;D

Odd number year and so many other things currently on the 'to-do' or 'go-to' lists that's it likely Kitty and I will miss this year. We are planning on being at the October Paul Bunyon & Sawmill Shootout in Cambridge OH.

If a person was to plan for this, what city would they come into by air? And what would be the nearest town for hotel/motel rooms.

Saginaw is the closest. Exactly one hour from our place. Cheaper to fly into detroit, but you have a 3 hour drive from there. Clare and Harrison are the closest for lodging. Clare is only 15 minutes, we are in Harrison. Harrison only has small mom and pop places, Clare has chain hotels and some other larger ones. Houghton lake is a half hour away. Largest inland lake in Michigan outside of the great lakes. It has many hotels as well.

This will be the first time in 11 years we've taken off more than a couple of days. Patty was just a bit surprised when she opened this thread. I told her we are finally going to travel without having to be somewhere at a certain time, except Saturday of course. :)

You may not want to stay at the Deer Tick place either. ;DWhen we got there Tammy and Stacy asked us where we were staying.Then they said we'll find you another place and did.We stayed uptown at the same place Burlkraft and Jill were at.

Pigman had to tell a couple fellers something but I only caught the tailend of it. :D

You aren't going to believe this. But I just did an Expedia search from Kansas City to Saginaw, and one from Kansas City to Detroit. To Saginaw is 332 dollars. Detroit is 360. That is with a stop in Detroit. And you wonder why the airlines continue to lose money.

The Lakeside Motel is a fine place to stay. I would just make sure to check every little detail of the room for any damage as you check in and make sure the management checks the room for any damage before you check out. ::)

You aren't going to believe this. But I just did an Expedia search from Kansas City to Saginaw, and one from Kansas City to Detroit. To Saginaw is 332 dollars. Detroit is 360. That is with a stop in Detroit. And you wonder why the airlines continue to lose money.

The Lakeside Motel is a fine place to stay. I would just make sure to check every little detail of the room for any damage as you check in and make sure the management checks the room for any damage before you check out. ::)

I was certainly counting on attending my first pig roast this year. I had already done a search on lodging and air flights.

My problem is that I had to move up my total hip replacement from next year to this because the symptoms have progressed pretty rapidly. Anyway, I will be about 5 weeks post-op when the pig roast convenes, and that may be a little soon for a flight, long drive, meeting strangers I already know, and drinking a few beers. Maybe not. So I have to play it by ear this year. Sorry I can't fully commit, as I was looking forward to meeting my many friends in person.

unfortunately, i plan to hurt my leg by the first of august(jumping for joy over being done putting up hay for this year) and have planned to go to california to visit some very good friends while i am healing up. maybe i will be able to convince the little missus to go next year? pc

Woodchuck, I am just dang happy to be going to the picnic myself !! Jeff would be the person to ask, but I do know for sure that money is always a welcome gift. Jeff & Tammy put on a huge production for the piggy roast, and I can not even imagine what it must cost them. A donation to help pay for the piggy or for the paper plates and such would certainly be a good place to start. ;)

I'm not inta dat trailerin' either. But If ya would swing by and pick up me and da wife's extra clothes, and some beer, I would be grateful. Dat way I wouldn't hafta load down da ole Harley as bad. ;) Da beer would hafta ride in da cab wit you, it may not survive ta trip if it rode in da trailer. :-\

You could also grab Jeff's box of bands dat Kevin wuz 'spose ta pick up when he brought me his.

Well since you brought up "convoy" you have a Kenworth hauling logs, a cabover Pete with a refer on (I'm guessing that would be Chet's beer :)) and a Jimmy hauling hogs, not too sure how many Jeff needs or wants too cook but everything else seems to fit. Does this mean there will be a music video?

Jeff-I'm coming. Let me know what I can bring or if there's anything I can do once I get there. I have many relatives less than 5 minutes from you. Look's like you're less than 80 miles from me, and I've driven a lot farther than that for a good meal. Marty

Jeff-I'm coming. Let me know what I can bring or if there's anything I can do once I get there. I have many relatives less than 5 minutes from you. Look's like you're less than 80 miles from me, and I've driven a lot farther than that for a good meal. Marty

Looking forward to it Marty. No need to bring anything unless you feel the urge. Some people bring a door prize, some bring a dish to pass, but its totally unnecessary to bring anything but yourself and family. :)

We need to start getting a count on how many people might attend. So far its looking kinda bleak looking back at this thread. Its only about a month to go and I don't have a clue this year on what the attendance might look like. I've had very few people tell me they are coming but lots of people tell me they are not. So far I don't have a single request for a camping spot.

So, lets get a count. Please update the number as you add yourself. :)

The better half made reservations at Harrison's finest 5 star motel, so I suppose we will be there. I think that makes 11.Dang Steve, your number was below 10, so you didn't have to take your shoes off for your count. :(

Lindy and I are coming. We decided to drive it instead of flying. Will be cheaper in the long run to drive when you figure in a rental car from the airport. Cheapest air I could find was $340 per head one way. By the time we drive to the closest airport we're already 2 hours toward being there. Road trip it is. Never dorve in yankee land. Ya'll do drive on the right side of the road don't you?

Pig weeds or pig roast? this is my question. We're having an outright war with herbicide-resistant pigweeds; it is a mattter of keeping the upper hand throughout the growing season else, there may be no crop! We cannot even begin to think of a vacation, we had plans to go out to the Tree Farm Conference in, I believe, New Mexico. The wife says she's taking the grandkids to Branson with or without me in August. But thank-you for the invite anyways.

We are thinking of coming. Sorry cant say for sure yet. The big problem is that we have to take our daughter to CMU the week before and so the very next weekend we'll have to drive up to the same area. Not sure if I can leave 2 weekends in a row.

Hi Jeff, Ronda and I are planning on coming. We are going to be camping east of Grayling on Thursday through Sunday so on Saturday we will drive down to Harrison. I am planning on driving the old woodburner up if I can get the electrical problems worked out in time, when we came up last time the generator quit working so we replaced it with a larger alternator and the old wiring cant handle it. Looking forward to having a good time, good food and meeting you all.

My wife and I are coming up, and maybe the two kids. Kids ok to bring? Will be checking into babysitter options though :D Jim Brown, WM customer service manager may be coming. I'll update if he confirms that he is.

Good luck on that romance at the pig roast, Mooney, by the time you get through with the days events, it is time to sleep, for the next day. But then, you young guys are still burning the candle at both ends. 8)

Dan, I'm trying but if I show it won't be on the bike. I have a trial scheduled for the week before and the week after the roast which I have to give testimony in. I don't know when I will be called if at all but have to be available during this time. :(Hopefully it is settled prior to Thursday before the roast.

Pick-up a side car and get Fish on your way up, his good at getting air matresses pumped up by the locals up there. Then again , that may not be such a good idea, ya might have ta share accomodations... A motel does sound wiser after thought. :)

I thought the air mattress in the car under Jeff's oaks was a nice spot to. I never had an ache nor pain. ;D

The stump jumpers with their travel trailer made fine neighbors to.

The final morning I saw Fish and Raider_Bill both scrambling to get their gear packed up when that thunderstorm rolled in. Old Dang was more interested in the coffee pot. Course he had a dry van for accommodations. :D ;)

For showers, I thought $5 down the road at the campground (can't remember the name) was a good deal. Can wash clothes there to I think. Jeff can probably remember the name of the place, I told him I went down there.

Google's estimate must be straight driving time! They claim I can make 3,587 miles in 3 days flat. However, when I was much younger and drove up from Colorado, it took 3.5 days, driving ~16 hours per day, with an average speed of ~85 mph.

Im Getting on the plane in about 11hrs :) :) 24 hrs flight time and im staying up as its 12:30am here so my plan is to sleep abit on the first leg of the flight and hopefully I will get there without any jet lag ;)

Im looking forward to Meeting Everyone I Can :) ;) ;D ;D 8) 8) 8) I hope to see you there Jake if not Ill be calling in to harass you at the mill prob both ;) :D :D ;D ;D 8) 8)

My digs will be coming with me you dont have a spare 7x3' patch off lawn there Jeff ??? ;) ;D

Next year my body and the wife willing and able I would like to be there to represent South America with a couple of my oldest employees . " They are young" It would be quite an experience for them to see some real lumbermen and how you all have a get together. It would be a high point in thier life.

Well it's no pig roast for me again this year. After that July 1 storm, I am surrounded by down trees. Even took one on my camper in the woods. And the MN DNR wants me to look at 10 salvage sales in the state parks and forests just to clear the campgrounds which are still closed.

I forgot one thing before Chris left Duluth, MN for the pig roast. I had intended to say he respond with "ya sure ya betcha" instead of "no worries" as they say in Australia. I thought the FF members from the northern states would get a kick out of it!

I would like to be there, but I have some major work to do on a sawmill before the first of Sept.

Everyone seems to be having a good time, things are wound down for the day. I'm on pig mode for the rest of the night. When I switch propane tanks in an hour or so, and get everything running smooth on the cooker again, I'll try to get 2 or 3 hours sleep. Smaller group then last year on a Friday evening but the food was really good. The corn especially. I'm hoping others are taking pictures. I had not even thought about it until a little while ago. I know they were taking a lot of photos of the pig cooking! :)

Since Jeff is on vacation and it is a bit early yet, I doubt that there is a 2012 yet. He did not start this one until the end of May last year. A search should find the pictures, etc. from last year's Roast.

I know one thing. I just cooked a roast of pork here this afternoon and I could have eaten the whole darn thing to. Some good. Mmm!! ;D musteat_1 Never get anything like it in any restaurant in these parts. :)

I would like to attend a pig roast or a chicken crispin but 1309 miles is a bit far for me. We do a little cooking from time to time.

These are a few ribs that are about ready to come off. I cooked 196 slabs that day on two rotations. There were a bunch of folks cooking to raise money for the families of two police officers who were killed. At the end of the day, the community raised about $90,000.

(http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/023.jpg) A few leg quarters that are about to come off.

(http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/061.jpg) Some pork butts that will be ready for pulling in a few hours.

I would like to attend a pig roast or a chicken crispin but 1309 miles is a bit far for me. We do a little cooking from time to time.

These are a few ribs that are about ready to come off. I cooked 196 slabs that day on two rotations. There were a bunch of folks cooking to raise money for the families of two police officers who were killed. At the end of the day, the community raised about $90,000.

(http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/023.jpg) A few leg quarters that are about to come off.

(http://www.forestryforum.com/gallery/albums/userpics/22883/061.jpg) Some pork butts that will be ready for pulling in a few hours.

I'll make okra fried in grits batter! ;) We can also come up with some collard greens, paw-paws, and sweet vidalia onions. Now if you're really good we might make peach cobbler, fried chicken (without grits), cornbread with butter, gumbo, hot dogs in buns with chili on top, and boiled peanuts.